Saturday, September 8, 2012

Why Does Rosh Hashana Matter?

With Rosh Hashana a little over a week away, we have to ask ourselves, why does Rosh Hashana matter? What makes it so important? Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald, Director of NJOP, discusses this important topic in this week's video

Its like in the story of Adam in the Garden of Eden. He's hiding from God after eating the forbidden fruit and God asks, where are you? Of course God knows where he is, what he's asking is, where is Adam existentially? Where are you spiritually? What have you done with your life? And where are you going? This is what God asks us each year on Rosh Hashana! We need to evaluate ourselves. We have a concept of Cheshbon Hanefesh, an accounting of our soul. We need to know we are going in the right direction, on the right path, doing the right thing, morally and ethically, in our behavior with ourselves and with other human beings. Rosh Hashana is the instrument that helps us face the world. When we make our own internal accounting of our deeds we know we're on the right track. That we will use every ounce of strength and moral conviction to do the right thing for ourselves and for human kind.

Rabbi Buchwald and the team at Jewish Treats wish you all a happy, sweet and healthy New Year. Shana Tova!